Join us for a visit with some of our favorite authors whose books we love to read and share with everyone. You'll get to hear from authors who've become friends over the years, authors we're just discovering, and lots of prizes and books to win!

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Laura Childs: An Interview with... Me!

I wrote a short story called George the Ghost when I was six, then
kind of went on from there. I told
campfire stories, wrote plays and poetry, worked on school papers. After college I was a writer/producer at several
national ad agencies and then took the big plunge and headed my own ad agency
for 20 years.

But what about fiction writing?

Since I’d written so many
radio and TV scripts in the ad biz, I started writing screenplays. When that didn’t pan out (I was optioned but
never produced), I switched to writing novels.
Kaboom – they took off like wildfire.

You write three different series. Did you set out to make them all a series?

Oh, absolutely. Once you create a cast of characters and a
fun place for them to inhabit, you want to keep expanding your concept. Case in point, I’m writing my 13th
Scrapbooking Mystery and outlining my 17th Tea Shop Mystery.

When you start a book, do you always know the title
and the basic plot?

Always. If I don’t have a title and key character
names figured out, I can’t start the book – I’m totally befuddled. And I always create an extensive
outline. First on a large sheet of paper
(with suspects color coded), then I transfer it to my computer and take it to
about 85 pages.

How do you feel about the term “cozy mystery?”

I love it. Because that’s exactly what my books are –
sort of bloodless, feel-good mysteries that you can curl up with and
enjoy. But I have to say, I’ve long
since been sneaking in much faster pacing to my novels, and incorporated double
murders, multiple plot lines, and elements of thriller writing. I even coined the term “thrillzy,” which has
been picked up in interviews I’ve done with Publishers
Weekly and several major newspapers.

What’s next for Laura Childs?

A 4th series – a brand new
sharp-edged thriller series that I’m writing under my real name of Gerry
Schmitt. The first book is titled FindersCreepers and features Afton Tangler, a single mom and Outward Bound
enthusiast. As a liaison for the
Minneapolis Police Department, Afton gets pulled into a bizarre, high-profile
kidnapping.

Sounds great.

Believe me, it’s a nail
biter.

Thanks so much, Laura.

Thank you, Laura.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a book from Laura!

Watch for Gossamer Ghost, Laura Childs’ brand new
Scrapbooking Mystery with an October 2014 release. And watch for Scorched Eggs, her new Cackleberry Club Mystery coming December
2014.